Sara and I took five days off for our first motorcycle tour. I ride a 2007 BMW R1200GS and Sara a 2009 BMW F650GS. This remarkable tour (with lots of learning) took us from Santa Fe, NM, through Georgia O'keefe country (Abiqui, NM), through the Chama Valley to Pagosa Hot Springs, CO (beautiful drive of European quality).
We then made our way through Durango and Cortez, CO, on the way to Moab, UT. Driving through the canyonlands was a spiritual experience. Literally and figuratively. For 60 miles we were buffeted by 15-25 mph crosswinds. In a car, that isn't a big deal. For two neophytes on bikes, that evokes prayer!
We spent two nights in Moab with friends. During our full day there in between those two nights we did a 90 mile loop ride through the canyons and up into the La Sal Mountains where the aspen were starting to turn. Sara and I rode "two-up" on my bike. That's the picture attached here.
I can see why some people make a life of doing nothing but motorcycle touring--no matter whether they are the stereotypical Harley-riding loner outlaw, or the globe trotting adventurer. To see life around you from a motorcycle is a very different experience than seeing it from the protective, insulating cocoon of a car. Reminds me of the Eagles' lyric "Every form of refuge has its price..."
Further, you'd be amazed at how many people walk up to you when you are standing by your motorcycle and just start talking. That and the many other nuances of gearing up, putting more clothes on, taking clothes off, putting on rain suits, taking them off, etc. makes traveling slower. But the connections to others and to life around seems deeper, the pace and the experience more real.
One last note. I cannot tell you what it is like to look in the rear view mirror and see your wife carving turns through mountain roads, right on your tail, and also watching her find the throttle and lighting the candle when it is time to pass a tractor-trailer rig. Amazing courage meets applied skill. I found myself often with my heart in my throat, thinking of the Proverb that says gold and silver can come from parents, but a good wife is from the Lord. I waited 11 years for mine, and in so many ways, she makes my life an inspiring adventure... with or without a pair of motorcycles.
